Ok, I don't typically do reviews, due to lack of time, laziness, not caring, etc…read more
However, in this instance I strongly felt that I should share my experience, given the abundance of negative comments that may discourage prospective visitors to the Pakistani consular office/ embassy in DC.
So, I had to get a multiple entry visa ("Family Visa") for my trip to Pakistan,after 20 years . I had plans to travels within two weeks, and I had lost my Pakistani passport. In addition my NICOP had expired too. I drove to DC from out of state the night before, and went to the address listed on the Embassy's website at 9:45 am. The Consular Service entrance is located on the street at the back of the Embassy, but that's the address on the website too. So my car's gps had no problem finding it. There is free parking on the street and I was able to find a parking spot without too much trouble. I took the stairs up (there is also a handicap elevator for those needing one) to the Consular Office, fully expecting a disorganized zoo of orangutans running around, based on some of the reviews here. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see a well behaved crowd waiting in chairs. I didn't know what they were waiting for, so I just walked up to one of three of four empty lanes in front of the consular windows and asked another person in line if I needed a ticket. He advised me there was no ticket dispenser, even if the ticket clock on the side wall continually displayed "now serving No. 16." I was relieved, as this meant I didn't have to wait to see the consular ( or whomever processes the visa applications.) . The people who were waiting in those chairs in the office were apparently waiting for their machine readable passports. Within a few minutes I was speaking with a pleasant gentleman (not sure if he was the consular, but for simplicity sake, I refer to him as consular in this review) about my visa application. I had already filled out the application and all the required documents attached with a paper clip along with four 2 x 2 passport size pictures ( 45mm x 35mm size not required, so the standard US 2x2 works just fine). He only asked me a couple of basic questions, went over my application, stamped my money order ( I had not filled it out) and gave me a hand written receipt for $120 visa fee with the pick up time the same day of 4 pm written on tip of the receipt (which I forgot to read..more about this later). He also informed me verbally to come back between 3:30 and 4:30 pm the same day. I returned to the Consular Office at 3:15 pm ( the office officially opens at 3:00 pm for pick ups). Again, no problem of parking on the street, and no waiting in line to see the Consular. He asked me about the pick up ticket receipt that he had given me with the pick up time on it. Due to my lack of attention in the morning for not reading the ticket/receipt, had forgotten the receipt in the car. I simply went back to the car, got the receipt and confirmed that the pick up time was indeed 4 pm. I decided to just wait in the car listening to my sat radio until 3:50 pm. Then, I walked up to the consular office, again no lines, no waiting, and handed him the pick up receipt. He was very polite and courteous Within a couple of minutes, I had my US passport back with a five year multiple entry visa which he signed in front of me.
My whole experience was completely opposite to what some others have posted here, and quite frankly I was really apprehensive about my visa process after reading some these reviews and a few others on another travel forum.
I wanted to share this review, so that it might help others who are looking for more information, as I was when I started my Pakistani Visa process